Norway Says Cars Neither “Green” Nor “Clean”
The Environmental News Network reports that car companies in Norway are being forced into stricter guidelines regarding the use of terms like “green” and “environmentally friendly” in advertising and marketing campaigns.
While cars such as the Toyota Prius have integrated these phrases into expensive ad campaigns, auto makers in general don’t seem upset about the change in the rules.
“Bente Oeverli, a senior official at the office of the state-run Consumer Ombudsman, said carmakers, who are making huge investments in cleaning up emissions, seemed happy to get clearer rules about advertising. In future in Norway, they could only give information that could be firmly documented.”
The United States has strict guidelines on truth in advertising, but even these terms would allow for auto makers to use green terms in their advertising and marketing. The new guidelines in Norway will take effect on October 15.
